Who is Brian Halligan, Co-founder & Chairperson at HubSpot?

Brian Halligan is the Co-founder and Chairperson of HubSpot, where he leads overall strategy and growth. He previously served as CEO from 2006 to 2021, successfully growing HubSpot into a major CRM player. He currently also serves as Co-founder & Partner at Propeller Ventures focusing on climate tech investments, and holds advisory roles with Sequoia Capital and MIT Sloan.

Halligan's career spans over three decades, starting at Parametric Technology Corporation as Sales VP. He later served as VP Sales at Groove Networks until its Microsoft acquisition. His most significant role began in 2006 when he co-founded HubSpot and served as CEO for 15 years, transforming it into a leading CRM platform. He has since transitioned to Chairperson while expanding into climate tech venture capital through Propeller Ventures.

He holds an MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management (2005) and a BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Vermont (1990). He maintains strong academic ties as a Senior Lecturer at MIT Sloan School of Management, where he teaches entrepreneurial ventures.

Halligan is recognized for his expertise in software, CRM, marketing, and entrepreneurship, with growing focus on climate tech and venture capital. He is an accomplished author of 'Inbound Marketing' and 'Marketing Lessons From the Grateful Dead,' and was named Ernst & Young Northeast Entrepreneur Of The Year in 2012. His thought leadership is followed by over 55,000 people on Twitter, and he is frequently featured in Forbes and Boston Globe.